Citrus custard tarts

Citrus custard tarts Whiz all pastry ingredients except the water in a food processor until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add cold water and pulse until dough holds together. Roll out on a floured board and line 10 x 10cm tart tins. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C, then bake pastry bases for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on racks, remove from tins and store in an airtight container (put a piece of baking paper between each one) until ready to use. These can be done a few days ahead.

To make custard, beat egg yolks with half the sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift cornflour over egg mix and beat in. Heat milk with remaining sugar, orange peel and vanilla pod until just before boiling point. Strain the hot milk over the egg yolks and whisk in. Return to cleaned pot and heat over a medium heat until boiling. Boil custard for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.

Remove from heat, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. This can be made a couple of days ahead. Beat again with an electric beater before use to soften the custard, as it will set solid.

Peel citrus fruit with a sharp knife, removing all pith. Segment fruit and place in a sieve to drain off excess juice. Store covered in the fridge until required. The blood oranges tend to bleed into the other citrus, so I put them in a separate bowl.

To serve, fill each tart shell with orangescented custard, then top with a mix of citrus segments.

Cook's tip The pastry bases, custard filling and citrus salad can all be prepared ahead, then assembled shortly before serving. If you don’t have 10 tart tins, make the bases in batches, or you could halve the recipe.

From Taste magazine, September 2010.